Alternative Spa Treatments

When you are looking for the ideal place to unwind and relax you should think of a visit to the spa. This is the best place to pamper and relieve yourself of the stresses and strains of everyday life. But if you are tired of the regular treatments offered at spas, try a spa treatment that’s a little out of the ordinary. You may discover something that will make you feel more relaxed and renewed than ever before.

Alternative therapy is any healing practice "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine. It is often opposed to evidence based medicine and encompasses therapies with an historical or cultural, rather than a scientific, basis. Alternative medicine practices are as diverse in their foundations as in their methodologies. Also today holistic healing centers are springing up across the city and the good news is that many people can afford treatment in these centers because of their affordability.

Here are some alternative treatments you may want to try the next time you visit the spa.

Hot Stone Treatment

The use of hot stones to soothe the body into relaxation has become a growing trend in many spas. Flat, smooth stones made of volcanic rock are heated in hot water and then placed in your hands, on your back or between your toes. The therapist then performs the massage with a heated stone in hand. Warmth from the stones expands the blood vessels, which causes blood to move around the body more quickly and sedates the nervous system. This causes the muscles to really relax and makes for a deep, thorough massage.

Fire and Ice Massage

This is a thermo-therapeutic treatment alternating heated black basalt stones with iced white marble stones. The warm black stone expands the blood vessels, pushing blood and unwanted waste materials through the body as the cool marble stones cause the blood vessels to constrict, stimulating the nervous system. The hot and cold temperatures help the body detoxify and heal as it releases stress that is held within the body.

Ear Candling

Ear Candling is an unusual treatment that originated in Egypt thousands of years ago and is now offered at many spas and holistic centers. It is a method of cleaning the ears and the mind by inserting a hollow candle into the ear. The candle is then lit to suck out earwax and toxins in the body. It is said that you will have a heightened sense of smell and taste and an ability to breathe and hear better. This method is used to help relieve allergies, excess earwax, migraine headaches and sinus infections.

Leech Therapy

This is a treatment that cleanses and detoxifies the blood from an affected skin area by placing medical leeches on the body. Leeches are known to have anti-blood clotting enzymes in their saliva that allow blood flow from the area they have sucked on, thus, are effective in getting blood to flow into muscle, skin and fat tissue.

Gem Facial

This is the method of placing precious gems on the face to counteract harmful environmental effects and mental stress. The gems act as moisture traps, rehydrating the skin and aiding moisture retention, helping the skin preserve its youthful qualities and delaying signs of aging. It is thought to act as a stimulant to help with blood circulation and toxin removal for soft, resilient, and glowing skin.

Cupping

This is an ancient Chinese method that creates a partial vacuum in cups that are placed on the skin with heat or suction. The underlying tissue is then drawn up into the cup like a vacuum, healing the particular problem area. This method causes the body to release toxins, clear colon blockages, diminish stretch marks, and is known to be the best deep tissue massage out there.

Gold Facial

A Gold Facial is thought to be a powerful anti-aging treatment that revitalizes the skin. As a soft metal, the skin easily absorbs gold and helps remove toxins and waste from the body. It also stimulates blood circulation and improves the skin’s elasticity, accelerating cell renewal and reversing oxidation damage.

Japanese Shiatsu Body Therapy

Japanese Shiatsu Body Therapy (Japanese from shi, meaning finger, and atsu, meaning pressure) is a traditional hands-on therapy originating in Japan. Shiatsu is an evolving form, and its various styles incorporate (to differing degrees) aspects of Japanese massage traditions, Chinese Medicine practice, and "Western" anatomy and physiology. Shiatsu is a safe and effective preventive medicine that helps balance energy flow and strengthen vital organs.
The full-body massage is done with clothes on and no oil. The therapist uses her body and knees to stretch your legs, arms and back. Apt for de-stressing, a Shiatsu massage is recommended for tired, aching bodies, as well as for general rejuvenation.

Javanese Massage

In Javanese massage, pushing and stroking techniques predominate, working to ease muscle and joint pain. It relies upon deep thumb pressures pushing, pressing and circling along and around the body's energy meridians to break down tensely knotted muscles and to stimulate the body's lymphatic system into releasing its self regenerative power. The deep thumb pressure is accompanied with simultaneous stroking palm movements, squeezing and pushing against the skin and veins to improve blood circulation. Patients with chronic headaches, fibromyalgia, lower back and neck pain, hypertension, depression and anxiety very often find relief through the benefits of massage therapy.